LinkedIn introduces biometric IDV in Singapore with Persona

LinkedIn is rolling out identity verification using biometric passports in Singapore.

The feature is provided by San Francisco-based selfie biometrics provider Persona. To apply for verification, Singaporeans can scan the passport’s photo page with the camera feature in the LinkedIn app and use the smartphone’s NFC reader to scan the passport’s NFC chip. The process is completed by taking a live selfie, The Strait Times reports.

The identification form, which includes biometric data and digital signatures, is harder to fake than traditional paper documents, according to Wei Tu, LinkedIn’s vice-president of engineering, trust engineering and operations.

The Microsoft-owned social network launched the feature in March as part of its global identity verification rollout which is already available in at least 100 countries. Last year, the company announced a biometric ID verification partnership with Clear in the U.S., followed by an extension of the verification service in Canada and Mexico.

Persona announced its deal with Linkedin in late 2023, after which the feature was rolled out in Australia and Brazil.

The feature is optional and is aimed at curbing misinformation and poor conduct on the platform. To incentivize its use, LinkedIn will assign a verification badge that signals the account is authentic and boost the account by 60 percent on average, making it appear more frequently in searches.

LinkedIn currently has 30 million users with a verification badge with plans to reach 100 million verified accounts by 2025, according to Tu.

Singapore’s 4.2 million users may have more reasons to adopt the verification service than most. In 2022, job scams became the most prevalent type of fraud in the country with over 9,900 cases reported and at least S$135.7 million (US$99 million) in losses, according to police statistics.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  identity verification  |  LinkedIn  |  Persona  |  selfie biometrics  |  Singapore  |  social media